Venetian shade



'Mar Ch 22, 1938. G. c. LAWSON ET AL 2,111,979

VENEI IAN SHADE Original Filed Nov. 19, 1934 INVENTORS & GOTTFiE/D C-[A WS'O/V CA 78L L/NDQ 0/57 ATTORNEYS iatented Mar. 22, 1938 UNITED STATES VENETIAN SHADE Gottfrid O. Lawson and Carl Lindquist,

Cleveland, Ohio Original application November 19, 1934, Serial No. 753,586. Divided and this application September 29, 1936, Serial No. 103,089

7 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in Venetian blinds and more particularly to an improved slat for Venetian blinds.

This application is a division of our co-pending application Serial No. 753,586, filed November 19, 1934.

Venetian blinds usually comprise an upper rail which is tiltable and having two or more ladder tapes suspended therefrom with the bottom ends of the ladder tapes connected to a lower rail. The ladder tapes carry in spaced vertical relation a plurality of slats. It is with these slats that our present invention is particularly concerned.

Heretofore the slats were made from relatively thin rectangular strips of wood, which were painted or stained the desired color. Some of the prior slats were made of laminated construction known as plywood. Wooden slats, however, have several disadvantages; they have a tendency to split, making replacement necessary, or what is the most common occurrence they warp or twist, presenting a decidedly untidy looking blind. Warping of the slats is a very common occurrence because they are subject to an unequal distribution of the rays of sunlight which very seldom encompass the. entire blind and which, shining on one particular spot, causes the undesirable distortion previously mentioned. Wooden slats also are relatively expensive, and since the blinds consist mostly of slats, the cheaper the slats can be constructed the cheaper the entire blind.

In the present blind we have provided slats fabricated from metal and fiber which are extremely economical to manufacture, and wherein the attendant disadvantages enumerated above have been eliminated.

slat constructed according to .our invention;

Fig. 2 is a section-taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

,Fig. 3 is an enlarged section of the edge of the slat shown in Fig. 2; and

PATENT oFFIc ti (Cl. 156-17) Fig, 4'is a similar view to Fig-3 of a modified form of the invention.

Referring to thedrawing throughout which like parts are designated by like reference characters, as best shown in Fig. 1, the slat comprises 5 a center web I composed of a sheet of fiber or like material. The edges of the sheet are protected and strengthened by beads 2 of metal preferably extending the entire length of the slat. Slots 2 are provided through the intermediate portion to permit cords to extend therethrough and attach to a lower rail for lowering and raising purposes, well known in the art.

Obviously, other materials than fiber may be used for the web. For instance, it might be desirable to make it of sheet aluminum when a fireproof blind is desired.

As best shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the metal edging 2 comprises a sheet of metal bent into C or pear shaped formation with the free edges 4 extending toward each other. The free extremities of the bead edges thus present sharp edges which bite into the material of the web I, forming their own slot or groove by compressing the material 0 the web.

The edge of the web extends into the bead, but does not bottom therein. It is thus possible for the bead to move slightly without twisting the web portion. This movement may cause the bead to take the position shown by the dotted lines in so Fig. 3. The edges 4 of the bead securely grip the web preventing the same from being pulled ofi of the edge, although the bead may be moved longitudinally.

Inasmuch as the slats are used in windows, it is very seldom that the entire slat is subjected to the same conditions. The sun shining through the window seldom, if ever, shines on the whole slat. This causes various areas of the slat to be heated by the suns rays which causes an unequal longitudinal expansion of the web and bead ordinarily causing warping or twisting. Since the bead may slide longitudinally and move arouately relative to the web, its unequal expansion and twisting does not affect the web, and the slat therefore always remains straight and flat.

' The economy of manufacture of such a slat is apparent as well as the fact that the entire slat is lighter in weight and still has the appearance of thickness that lends to its attractiveness.

In Fig. 4 we have illustrated another embodiment which operates in substantially the same manner as that just described. The bead 2a in this instance is of circular cross section, and the 55 edges 44! are formed to provide a sharp edge for engagement with the web I. Obviously still other forms of bead could be made and still involve the same principles of operation.

Having thus described our invention, we are aware that numerous and extensive departures may be made therefrom without departing from the spirit of the invention, or the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A shutter type shade embodying a plurality of shutters formed of pressed board, paper or analogous material having metallic beads clamped on the edges thereof, said beads being bent into gous fibrous material having sheet metal reinforcing beads clamped on the edges thereof, saidbeads being bent into tubular shape with the tube in cross section having in general a pearshaped contour, to thereby cause the edges of the tube to more effectively bite into the shutter and at the same time embody maximum resistance to bending stresses in the walls of the tube.

4. In a slat of the class described comprising a web of fiber or analogous material having its longitudinal edges bounded by metallic beads, said beads being of tubular cross section, and having oppositely disposed sharp edges adapted to grip the web spaced from the edge thereof, said bead and web being capable ofrelative movement therebetween.

5. In a slat of the class described including a body of thin flat material, reinforcing edges for said web comprising a metal bead of tubular formation having inturned edges adapted to grip the-web spaced from the edges, and formed to permit relative movement between the bead and. the edge of the slat.

6. In a slat of the class described, a body therefor comprising a thin flat rectangular sheet of fiber or analogous material, a. reinforcing bead for said edge comprising a tubular metallic element of substantially C-shaped formation having oppositely disposed sharpened edges adapted "flat material, reinforcing beads of the edge of the web secured to the web spaced from the edge, the edges of the web extending into and being free from contact with said bead.

' GOTTFRID C. LAWSON.

CARL LINDQUIST. 

